Frugal Gluten-Free Living: Homemade Gluten-Free Noodles

I live in a place without a Trader Joe's. I know. Torture. Especially when they are the most cost effective carrier of all things gluten-free. So, if you live somewhere isolated, as I do, or just feel like saving money and having fun making your own delicious gluten-free noodles, this will help you on your way.

These gluten-free noodles are easy to prepare and they can store inside your refrigerator for up to a week and a half. The greatest part is, once they're done, it only takes a few minutes to cook since they're fresh. And trust me, your gluten grubbing friends won't be able to tell the difference. They aren't sticky and lack that annoying texture that most rice noodles have.

Mix up a bunch of this stuff and have it handy for recipes like this and others I'll be throwing at you. I try to buy in bulk and mix it all in a big 25 gallon airtight container. Just be sure to mix the flours pretty thoroughly.

Gluten-Free Noodles

1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour mix

2 Teaspoons xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

2 Eggs (lightly beaten)

Throw it all in your mixer for a few minutes. I don't use the dough hook because I find it doesn't get it all mixed as well as I like. I use the paddle looking thing with holes. Then I take the dough and knead it around in my hands a bit. If this is your first time working with gluten-free dough, you'll notice the texture is considerably more sticky than you'd like. That's okay. With practice you'll get used to working with it. Use a little of the gluten-free all purpose mix to dust the dough. You'll want to take your dough ball and divide it into four smaller balls for the pasta machine.

**If You Don't Have a Pasta Machine

Don't be discouraged. Just roll out the dough until it gets as thin as you possibly can make it. Then take a pizza cutter and cut nice long noodles. They won't be perfect, but hey, you'll still be able to have your noodle and eat it, too. Remember to use a spatula to scrape away the dough, and be generous with your flour sprinklings.

Then take your pasta machine. Set it up so it's nice and firmly attached to your clean surfaced area. Press the small dough ball through the machine on the lowest (thickest) setting. It will come out in clumpy blobs and you'll want to throw it all away and give up. But trust me. This will work and you're not a failure...not yet.

Put the lacerated-looking dough on a plate and do your best to make a flat area, and don't worry about the gaping holes. Use a good spatula to scrap it off the plate if it sticks. Remember a good spatula is your greatest asset in gluten-free cooking.

Put it through the pasta machine again. This time it will seem less like a horror film. There will still be holes, but fold it over and run it through again. You'll notice with each run through the machine, your dough will look more consistent. Just refold before each run-through.

Turn up the knob (for a thinner noodle), until you reach the desired consistency. (By the way, young kids are perfect helpers when it comes to cranking the knob.) Then run the dough through the noodle slicer. I chose the fettuccine style for this batch.

Throw the noodles in boiling water for about three minutes, depending on how thin you made them. Don't overcook them. I drain them in a colander and spray cold water over to prevent them from cooking any more.

Remember how much you loved noodles? Seriously, these are divine. I usually double or triple the recipe and throw the extras (before cooking) in the refrigerator in a container with a lid. Then we've got noodles all week for when the kids are begging for “Nearly Mac N Cheese.” I'll leave you with the recipe. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Nearly Mac N Cheese

One batch of Gluten-Free Noodles

One cup of milk

One cup of shredded cheddar cheese

One tablespoon gluten-free all purpose flour.

Mix the milk, cheese and flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until barely bubbling and until it reaches the desired consistency. Add noodles. Enjoy. Get ready for kids to ask for seconds.

That recipe looks awesome! Once I get a pasta maker, I'm going to try this out.

In response to Lucille's comment about the cost of rice noodles, I have seen them at the asian grocery for a really reasonable price in traditional "western" shapes (like shells and elbow macaroni), as well as the flat, wide pad-thai shapes.

Great recipe. I wish I could make it sometime in my weekend. I really want to, but seem like I don’t have enough time to make it myself. I’m used to buy a lot of prepackage noodle from my nearest store. And I found my favorite prepackaged product from Whole Foods Soma. It’s Brown rice noodle from a company called Star Anise foods. Delicious just in 5 mins to cook. No hidden gluten and low sodium. Hmm, it’s really convenient too. I think I’m in love with it :x Check it out at : http://staranisefoods.com/our-products.aspx. bet you love it too.

I would also like to know about freezing. I make basil regular noodles in the summer and freeze them, but would love to make gluten free for gluten-intolerant extended family. Also, can you use the commercial gluten free all purpose flour, or are the included flour types too different?

These are wonderful!!! I even adapted a recipe for chocolate pasta and made a wonderful dessert with chocolate noodles, strawberries and chocolate sauce. I have also made angel hair with this noodle recipe adding a bit more flour so they wouldn't stick together...actually much better than prepackaged dried wheat pasta. Didn't have much luck with your French Bread but the tortillas were a real gift. Next...Sandwich Bread.